


Benvenuto nella nostra famiglia

by Ann3onymous



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - After College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Complicated Relationships, Engagement, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Humor, Italian Mafia, Royalty, Secret Relationship, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:01:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22634749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ann3onymous/pseuds/Ann3onymous
Summary: "Well, I have sensitive information here. Dinner is just actually a ploy. It’s actually an interrogation to make sure you didn't read the documents."She turned and smirked at him as they headed down the stairs, "If that's the case, I'm happy to be interrogated through wining and dining.”Love is in the air at Harvard Square.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 6
Kudos: 46
Collections: For one is both and both are one in love: The Reylo Fanfiction Anthology's Valentine's Day Exchange





	Benvenuto nella nostra famiglia

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gennalannisters](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gennalannisters/gifts).



> This is for Gennalannisters who prompted a Modern AU - Mafia, University, Opposing families, Secret relationships/engagement, and hilarity to ensue prompt. I thoroughly fell in love with the idea! Thank you for the prompt, it was fun to write!

For the last half hour, Ben had retraced his steps around Harvard Square. He systematically reentered the shops he patronized in hopes of finding his lost attache case. He was on the Red Line at Park Street station when he realized he did not have his black leather bag in hand. 

He hoped for two things: that a kind tourist would turn it over to the shopkeep, and the item would be kept safely behind the counter. Or, more menacingly, that the case was found by a kind tourist who would alert the shopkeep, who then would alert the authorities of a suspicious black bag. The said case would then be turned over to the Harvard or Cambridge police to investigate. Either option - even though the latter would be a hassle - was better than someone finding his case with sensitive documents therein, and rifling through it. That would be a litigious mess. 

He really should have gotten a Tile to keep track of the damn thing, especially when traveling. It wasn't that he was forgetful, he was just tired. This last-minute trip up to Campus was for his mother, after all.

His phone vibrated in his coat pocket as he exited Black Sheep Bagel. He unlocked it and read the message:

From: rey.palpatine@seas.harvard.edu

To: Ben.Solo@alumni.harvard.edu

Subject: Found Case at Business School Auditorium

Dear Mr. Solo,

Good afternoon! I found your bag at the Klarman auditorium after the Enterprising Women for Sustainability talk by Senator Leia Organa. I took it with me - you're a hard man to reach.

I'm going to moderate a section and I'll be out in 45 minutes. Meet me at One Story Street?

  
  


Rey Palpatine

Doctor of Materials Science & Mechanical Engineering Candidate

Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Pierce Hall, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138

(617) 496-1351

  
  
  


He sighed in relief and typed out a reply.

  
  


Re: Found Case at Business School Auditorium

Hi Rey,

Thank you very much! I'll meet you then - dinner on me.

B-

  
  


With that, he pocketed his phone and cut across the street to Winthrop Square headed toward Brattle Street. He wanted to get a cocktail at The Longfellow Bar to calm his nerves after the ordeal, and to wait out the Section. He had other emails to attend to.

* * *

Ten minutes before the Section's end, Ben typed out another email.

Re: Found Case at Business School Auditorium.

I'm at the Longfellow Bar for a drink. Would you prefer here, or would you want to grab a bite elsewhere? 

B- 

Rey responded a few moments later.

Re: Found Case at Business School Auditorium

How opposed are you to traveling to Kendall Square for dinner? CafeArt Science has great cocktails. 

RP

Re: Found Case at Business School Auditorium

Not opposed at all. Love the ambiance. I'll head to Story Street in a few.

B-

  
  


As the message sent, he paid his bill and donned his coat. He could not help but marvel at the chic interior of the bar was different from that of its eclectic predecessor, Algiers restaurant. This encapsulated Harvard; its always changing, yet remained the same. 

He exited the bar and walked up Brattle to Story Street. These side roads had a different feel compared to the main thoroughfares of the Square. With their tree-lined streets and bike paths, it was picturesque no matter the season. Students walked the back streets to get to their classes or apartments without much foot traffic. One never knew whom they’d bump into.

When Ben was an Undergrad, he lived in Adams House. He liked his House, but he hated the constant hubbub of dorm life. When he was getting his MPA at Kennedy School, he lived off-campus in Central Square, which also was a lively area, but quieter as one got closer to Cambridgeport. He enjoyed his bike rides down Memorial Drive from River Street to Campus.

Again, he rarely visited campus after graduating. He doesn't bother with Alumni gatherings or Commencement activities. He lived in New York City, after all, which has the second-largest population of Harvardians after Cambridge. He connects and networks with his colleagues at the Harvard Club there. 

He only comes on Campus when his mother gives a talk. His father had always gone with his mother whenever she spoke on Campus. Han had always felt he was an honorary Harvardian because of this. And since his passing five years ago, Ben was intent on keeping that tradition. No matter the personal cost. It was the very least he could do for his mom.

"Hi, I'm Rey," his reverie was interrupted when a tall slender woman offered her gloves hand. Her face was partly obscured by the furry trim of her jacket hood, but she had a nice smile.

He shook her hand, "Ben, and thanks so much for finding it. I was so relieved when I got your email." His heart started beating wildly in his chest.

She grinned brighter still, "No worries. I was at the talk waiting in line to speak with the Senator when I saw it from the corner of my eye. I would have run after you, but I was one person away from her. Imagine my surprise when I found whom it belonged to. Are you, by chance, her son or her nephew? I figured with your last name and all."

"I’m her reclusive son.” He chuckled, “as thanks, I'll take you to dinner and arrange a talk with my mother." Ben fell into step as Rey marched toward the T-station.

"My, my, I really must have hit the jackpot then," she chuckled. “I wonder what’s so important.”

He felt so at ease chatting with her, which was rare. Something about her was dazzling. He had a good feeling about this. He couldn’t help bump into her as they walked down the brick streets.

"Well, I have sensitive information here. Dinner is just actually a ploy. It’s actually an interrogation to make sure you didn't read the documents."

She turned and smirked at him as they headed down the stairs, "If that's the case, I'm happy to be interrogated through wining and dining.” Her brows furrowed in seriousness, “full disclosure, I only opened your notebook, and it had your name and office number inside the cover. I searched you up in the Harvard directory thinking you were one of the MBA's in the B school. That was how I got your alumni email."

  
  


As dinner commenced, they had lively conversation. The inspired food and cocktails by the gastronomes of Cafe ArtScience made it all the better. As the evening went on, they found a mutual acquaintance in Poe Dameron - Senator Organa's Chief of Staff. Rey had grown up with him in Providence, Rhode Island.

For the first time in a long time, Ben felt a twinge of disappointment that the night was over. He had missed his train back to New York, but he was not at all sorry about it. With the splendid evening drawn to a close, he was weighed his options when she beat him to the punch.

“I’m coming down to New York next week. Perhaps, we can continue our conversation there?” She beamed as he helped her into her coat.

“I’d love that,” he grinned in kind. He couldn’t remember when he was this genuinely ebullient and congenial with another person. With his line of work he saw the worst in people, and he often had to instruct others morally, which was taxing and vexing.

As he waited with her for her Uber home. They exchanged contacts and chatted about their plans in New York. His insane schedule fortuitously synched with her visit, so he promised to tour her around after work. As he helped her into the car, he held her hand and kissed it good night before seeing her off.

* * *

Rey had never felt an affinity with anyone on Campus -- ever. Not once in the six years she’d been in Cambridge. Sure, there were classmates who turned into dear friends, but she felt like she could not ever let down her guard around them. Their lives had a certain quaint charm that her’s lacked. With her complicated childhood, she often preferred having that air of mystique.

She felt hopeful for once. There was a spark, and a thrilling magnitism between her and Ben. She can imagine that being a Senator’s kid he, of all people, would understand the isolation and shadows family members. He could probably understand the constant looming threat in those shadows, too. 

Reflecting further about the night, she was surprised by the shorthand that began to develop between them over dinner. She had never been on a _real_ date, but the evening she just had with him felt like it progressed into one naturally. And for once in her life, she didn’t mind at all that it was all unplanned.

* * *

Ever since their boss attended an event in his Alma Mater supporting his mother, the general atmosphere around the office has been that of piqued curiosity. Their curmogendly superior had become less so. At first, Finn thought his boss had gone loopy from all the traveling he did. 

Mr. Ben Solo, Chief Ethics Officer of the World Bank Group, had travelled to three states across the span of the United States for business, before going to his mother in Massachusetts. Upon his return to the office that following Monday, Finn had seen his boss smiling into his phone as he typed out messages throughout the day. At first he thought his boss was merely exchanging funny messages with his mother, the Senator. But as the week went on, the smile got bigger and brighter into an outright grin. It was eerie.

“Clear my schedule from 3pm this Friday, please,” Solo texted him.

“Is the Senator coming in? Shall I send flowers to her hotel?” Finn knew he was prodding, but he wanted to see what this line of inquiry would yield.

“No, my mother’s not coming in. Can you secure me two tickets to Dear Evan Hansen for Saturday night - use my personal card please. Thanks.”

Finn wasn’t one to gossip, but he _had_ to let Hux know. Mr. Armitage Huxley was Mr. Solo’s Chief of Staff, and the closest thing to a friend the esteemed man had. Both had attended the Kennedy School together, and rose the ranks of WBG. They were often combative, but liked each other well enough. 

“I’m sure Solo has a date this Saturday. And I’ll happily rearrange his Friday afternoon meetings if it means he gets laid,” Finn messaged Hux.

“Don’t you **dare**! It was neigh impossible getting that meeting with the PM of Greece!”

“Not sorry & you’re not my boss. Perhaps he can phone in? I’ll ask him if he’s open to it, but my guess is he won’t.” Finn put his conversation thread with the enraged Hux on mute as he worked on freeing his boss’s schedule and procuring the Broadway tickets.

  
  


* * *

  
  


In the following months, they worked out an arrangement. Rey visited New York City once a month, and Ben happily paid for the roundtrip Acela Amtrac ticket from South Station to Penn Station. She didn’t have the heart to tell him that the Acela was not a true express train to New York City. The journey was only thirty minutes faster. The train only reached top speeds when it was not passing through seaside towns, otherwise, it chugged along slowly. Still, she loved the scenery and the ease of a train ride, instead of the bus.

He had offered to pay for her accommodations whilst in the City, but she refused. He never asked where she stayed, and she was glad for it. However, she knew, as their relationship progressed, she’d have to tell him.

Rey, a Palpatine, is the progeny and begrudging member of the cadet branch of the Patriarca Crime Family. Her father, Giovanni, was the son of Carmine “Sheev” Palpatine. As a _Capomandamento,_ a Boss of his own organization, Sheev was called Don Sidious. He was the grandson of one of the Made men of the Patriarca family. The Patriarca Family’s jurisdiction was most of New England, specifically, east of the Connecticut River.

Her father, to his credit, worked all his life to distance himself away from his relatives who worked for the Family. For the most part, they left him alone. They had sworn it, and as per their code of honor, they did not include him in the business. Giovanni proved himself to be an honest man only intent on academia. Nevertheless, her father’s death was inadvertently caused by a rival Family, to which, reparations were paid to Rey. 

Carmine “Sheev” Palpatine, was part of the “Family business”, and as such, she still had to pay her respects to the Five Families in New York whenever she came down. Namely, to Bianca “Maz Katana” Genovese, her Madrina. Her _godmother_ was the daughter of Matteo Genovese, son of the leader of the Genovese Crime Family in New York City. Rey would stay with her as _protection_ per custom.

It was not any less complicated on her maternal side. Her moter had a complex relationship with the English Monarchy. Tamzin Palpatine was born Lady Tamzin Alexandrina Mary Württemberg daughter of Lord Albert, Viscount of Teck. Her maternal grandfather was related to Queen Mary of Teck, the great-grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II. 

Her parents met when her father was writing his dissertation at Cambridge University, and her mother attended Oxford. Rey was born in Providence, Rhode Island, but bounced trans-Atlantic due to her parent's academic careers. Hence, her accent; regardless of being as New Englander as any.

Nevertheless, she was sure that Ben Solo had his own family drama. It was in the way he spoke; genteel with an edge. She knows that precarious nature. No one learns that from posh schooling. She posits that it stemmed from his father's side, and not from the illustrious maternal line. 

On his part, Ben Solo was astute enough to read her reservations, and not be disconcerted. He knew that when she spoke about her family, there was _history_ there. He understood all too well the long shadows great families cast. His mother, Senator Leia Organa, was the first female general of the United States Air Force before becoming the Senator of Virginia. Her biological father, Anakin Skywalker, also in the services, was a Brigadier General of the United States Marines. Her biological mother, Padme Amidala-Naberrie, was a two-term Governor of New York. 

However, as the two had her and her twin brother, Luke, out of wedlock and in secret, an arrangement was made. Leia was adopted by an ally political family, the Organa's, and Luke was adopted by a relative, the Skywalker-Lars. The twins grew up in proximity to each other but found out about their parentage later on in life. Thankfully, this was all before the age of the Exposé and the Internet.

Ben knew little about his paternal history. His father was an orphan and enlisted in the Services. Han Solo was honorably discharged from the Navy as a Commander, but became an Antiquities Dealer. It was an open secret amongst the family members that Han Solo was a Treasure Hunter, and that was how he came to procure the antiquities he sold.

Ben’s family history was a confluence of the Military and Washingtonian elite, and the baggage that came with it. Which is why he recognized the same hefty weight Rey carried on her slender shoulders. There was more to her story, and he’d consider it his pleasure to learn and uncover it at her discretion.

Everyone has a complicated story, anyway.

* * *

Several months into their relationship, Ben and Rey planned to spend the summer together at Ben’s Hampton home. Summering in the Hamptons was as foreign and familiar to Rey as summering in Spain. Her mother, as nobility, summered in Mallorca with her cousins. Rey spent many summers on the island. But the Hamptons were different. It wasn’t as highbrow as Mallorca, but just as glam. She felt unsure about spending the whole summer without work.

However, just as the semester closed, an interesting opportunity presented itself. McKinsey & Company asked her to head a team analyzing data sets as a part-time contractor. They were impressed with one of her research papers, which implied that they were interested in hiring her as a consultant once she receives her Doctorate. 

The company paid for her Summer accommodations in New York City and only required her to work twenty-six hours per week. They also gave her the option of working remotely, which she’d to utilize. 

All signs pointed to New York. All signs were led her closer to Ben.

* * *

Finn was surprised when his boss tasked him to rearrange his summer schedule. Even more so, he was surprised that Solo was forthcoming -- or as forthcoming as Solo could be about his private life. Hux, again, raged that foreign travel over the summer was reassigned to him, but secretly, he was excited for his colleague.

“I don’t know if it was purposeful or he’s getting sloppy, but Solo actually let it slip that his girlfriend’s staying in town for the summer,” Finn gossiped over his coffee. “He said it so casually as if we’ve talked about this before. And it’s not like we didn’t already piece together that she comes down from somewhere in New England once a month.”

“It’s been four months, yes? Besides, you’re his assistant, you’re privy to these things. I figure he knows that you know. _But_ not to be a gossip, I overheard him talking on the phone. He arranged for his Hampton’s home to be deep cleaned and ‘spruced up’,” Hux grinned before taking a sip of his cappuccino. 

“Do you think the Senator knows?”

“Doubt it -- we have the privilege of being in proximity. He’s getting better at not smiling like a fool as he types on his phone, though. I give it by the end of summer --”

“Wait, what? That they’d break up?”

“No! I think he’d propose.”

“Wager?” Finn had been feeling the same since Valentine's Day, even though he was sure his boss and his mystery lady did not go out on a date. 

“Yeah, sure. I think he’ll use something passed down from his family as an engagement ring.”

“Really? I think he’d get her something new. I’d say a classic solitaire, but big.”

“I wager $500 on a family heirloom,” Hux typed out the bet out on his phone.

“All right, I’ll match. $500 on a huge solitaire rock, by the end of the summer” Finn stuck out his hand, and Hux shook it. 

“Done.”

“Now that you’re finished taking bets on my personal life -- Hux, I’ve been messaging you,” Ben drawled as he shook his head at them. 

“You deflected - neither denying or confirming that those are your plans,” Hux grinned as he rose from his seat to follow his colleague out the door. 

Finn heaved a sigh of relief as he checked his phone. The meeting Solo attended ended early. But now he had to prep the conference room for another one.

* * *

Rey, as an academic, was unused to the business world. It was more open and edgy, presenting its own perils. And from the few weeks she’s worked in the office, it had a different flow. Their team of contractor analysts punched in numbers; did cursory computations, and created spreadsheets. As the point person on the team, she soon saw incongruencies.

“Babe,” she called out as she entered through the front door of Ben’s weekend house.

“I’m coming down!” He descended the steps to greet her in the foyer. He kissed her cheek and grabbed her bags. “What’s up?”

“I-I’m concerned about something,” she tied her hair in a ponytail. “I’d like for you to look at some of the spreadsheets I’m looking at, please? I think I have a moral dilemma in my hands.”

“Uh-oh, that’s not good,” Ben helped her set up her computer, taking the power cord and plugged it into the nearest outlet. 

“McKinsey’s an institution, and I know they’re thorough. So, I don’t know if its someone on the team that’s practically incompetent, or there’s really something funny going on with the data we’re aggregating.”

She handed him a thick folder and gave him time to peruse through the pages. He took care to read her notes. Then, he looked at the spreadsheet on her screen. “They look the same, Rey. What am I supposed to be seeing?”

“Yes, but this software logs in the analyst as they’re doing their data sets. Look,” she clicked through several subcategories and opened a pertinent window. “This is what this person was doing, and the math is incongruous. I thought it might be a computing error, but it’s not. It’s an input error. The numbers dumped in may have yielded the proper result, but they shouldn’t have arrived at that.” She sighed and leaned into the back of the couch, “I swear they tampered with the system. I-I might need IT to check the code. It’s not supposed to be this way.”

“I’m not going to ask what this data is supposed to represent, but I can tell since it’s bothering you so much, it must mean it’s something important,” Ben enveloped her in his arms.

“Yes, and I’m unsure as to how to proceed. Our group -- we’re contractors for the summer, and based on our performance on this project, McKinsey will determine who will be awarded a position. As the team leader, I am very much aware that some people are not above cheating. This quandary -- tampering the program to yield proper numbers -- shouldn’t happen. Perhaps they’re testing me? To see if I’d speak up when something’s wrong. Or they’re testing how I’d handle a team. I know the moment I open my mouth either way, someone gets sacked.”

“Speaking as an ethic’s officer,” he kissed the crown of her head, “I have every confidence that you’ll be able to navigate this. You have a strong moral compass. Lead by example. However, go with what your gut tells you. Investigate multiple layers to make sure the incongruencies are valid. I offer that if a person is already ready to compromise their work when it’s relatively low stakes, they’ll crack under the pressure when it really counts. That’ll be a bigger headache.”

“Thank you, Ben. Your confidence in me means a lot,” Rey smiled as she kissed his cheek.

  
  


* * *

The Summer came and went, and Tamzin Palpatine arrived in Cambridge from England just in time for Thanksgiving. Rey introduced her mother to Ben which set off a particularly interesting, but expected chain of events.

In her presence, he asked Tamzin’s permission if he could marry Rey. Ever nonplussed, her mother gave her consent. Promptly, Ben asked Rey for her hand in marriage. Of course, she said yes, and accepted the largest solitaire diamond she’s ever seen. All this occurred before 8am, while they were in her small kitchen preparing for Thanksgiving dinner.

“Does the Senator know about this?” Tamzin asked as she peeled the potatoes.

“No,” Ben shook his head as he chopped the vegetables for the stuffing. “For now, as she’s focused on campaigning, I felt it was best to keep it from her.”

“Wait,” Rey halted her chopping, “what is she campaigning for?”

With a sigh, Ben placed the knife on the board and turned to her, “President.” He was chewing the inside of his cheek.

“But, I haven’t heard anything on the news about this.”

“She just told me last night that she’s thinking of running. Nothing’s definite yet.”

Tamzin chuckled, “well that’s nice. Rey, a word, please?”

The mother and daughter exited the kitchen and conferred in her bedroom. “Did you tell him about Sheev?”

“Not in so many words,” Rey sighed and ran her hands down her face. “He knows there’s some unsavory family connection to crime. It’s not like Palpatine is a common last name that’s directly connected to Patriarca.”

“This could all be googled. And yet, he still asked you to marry him. Interesting.”

“Is that a good interesting, or a bad interesting, mom?”

“It will be a fun kind interesting, for sure.”

* * *

As Rey and Tamzin were discussing the news of his mother’s potential run for president, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. The thought ‘speak of the devil’ flitted through his mind, when he saw who was calling him..

“Ben,” she greeted warmly, “Happy Thanksgiving, honey. You’re in Cambridge, right?”

“Are you getting Secret Service to track me down already, mom?” He chuckled, as he cradled his phone on his shoulder to resume chopping. “Happy Thanksgiving to you, too.”

“No, I messaged Finn. He told me you were here. Imagine my surprise that we weren’t working. Coincidentally, I’m on Campus, too. I wanted to meet with some friends to bounce ideas about running. Perhaps, we can get dinner?”

“I see. You know what, I’ll text you an address. Come over and have Thanksgiving dinner with us here.”

“Oh, is that right? All right, Ben. I’ll see you in a few. I’d like to spend the day with you and whoever you’ve been hiding from me.”

“Heh, all right, mom. See you soon.” He hung up the phone and shared his location.

“Did you just invite your mother to Thanksgiving dinner?” Rey stood stock still at the entrance of her kitchen.

“Yes,” Ben felt the charged energy in the air. “Is that a problem?”

“No-no, not at all. But I guess it’s the right time to have this conversation anyway..”

Placing the knife on the board again, Ben wiped his hands on a rag and followed Rey to the living room. “I’m feeling a shift in the overall mood, Babe. We were just excited about the engagement -- is everything okay?”

Taking a deep breath, Rey opened her mouth and closed it. She got up and quickly fetched her glass of liquid courage. Ben was perplexed as she cradled her wine. After a few moments, and with Tamzin in the kitchen resuming Thanksgiving preparations, explained her ties to the New England Mafia and British Royalty. Ben sat back in disbelief and amazement at her lineage. It was just as complex and convoluted as his.

“So, let me get this straight. Your mother is the daughter of a Peer of the Land in England, and although she does not inherit your grandfather's title -- as she’s female -- she inherited his estate. And likewise, your father, who was a respected academic, was the son of a Mafia boss, and part of the notorious Patriarca Family. This led to his untimely demise regardless of the Oath of Protection over him. Also, you mean to tell me that your sweet godmother “Maz”-- whom I met in New York, is also part of the mafia?”

“Y-yes. That’s pretty much it. Are you okay with that? Are you okay with me being a Palpatine?”

“I am.” He heaved a sigh, “For the first time in my life, I feel like my family isn’t the only one with big dramatic secrets.”

He took her hand in his, and it was his turn to divulge his secrets.

* * *

“Hello!” Senator Leia Organa greeted the two women standing behind her son. She was fast assessing this situation. 

“Mom, welcome! I want you to meet Rey my fiancee, and Tamzin, her mother.”

“Ah, I see!” Shaking Tamzin’s hand, and turning to give Rey a hug. “Nice to see you again, Rey.”

“Y-you remember me?”

“Yes, you were at my last talk at the Business School. I remember,” Leia smiled as Ben helped her out of her coat. “You were the one who found my son’s bag.”

“Wait, you knew it was his bag?”

“Yeah, I gave it to him,” Leia chuckled as they led her to the living room.

“So, you just let a stranger get a hold of my bag when you very well knew what was inside?” Ben eyed his mother incredulously.

“Yeah,” she laughed and pointed to the engagement ring. “But look how that turned out. I’m so happy for you, dear.”

Snapping out of his incredulity, Ben shook his head. “Mom, I think we’ve got a situation.” Ben grimaced as he rubbed the back of his neck and sat across his mother.

After a beat she smiled, “get me a glass of wine and we’ll get crackin’.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is an ode to Campus - Harvard is ever changing, yet remains the same. It's got this charm that has you coming back to it. All the places mentioned in Cambridge, MA, are real places that I used to frequent. In fact, I've still got friends working at those establishments!
> 
> I wanted to set Rey and Ben older in this fic. Ben is a Harvard Alum, and Rey is working on her PhD (that's the official signature of the school of engineering, fyi). I felt that by doing so, they were allowed to keep their relationship secret without the "school drama", and keep the levity of nosy colleagues without much consequence. 
> 
> Ben's job as Chief Ethics Officer is literally to police people to DO THE RIGHT THING. Which is Rey's dilemma at her job, as her subordinates are not doing the right thing. But ben has to let her figure that out herself -- she has to learn how to be a leader herself. 
> 
> Finally, apologies for the cliff hanger ending. I honestly felt that ending on this way was better than going on without proper direction. I really couldn't figure out how to have meaningful comedic yet dramatic conflict with "opposing families", so I didn't pursue that. Perhaps I'll revisit this universe and flush it out. We shall see! 
> 
> Happy Valentines, y'all!


End file.
